Monday, 16 March 2026
Monday, 16 March 2026
Thunderstorms, hail and rain hit Shimla and nearby areas on Sunday, while higher reaches of Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti received fresh snowfall. According to weather data, Bhuntar recorded 12 mm of rain, followed by Mandi and Manali with 8 mm each.
Kufri received 7 mm, while Solan recorded 6.4 mm and Shimla 6 mm. Further rainfall was reported in Sundernagar (5 mm), Dharamshala (3 mm) and Kangra (2 mm). Kalpa and Neri received 1.8 mm each, while Jubberhatti recorded 1 mm.
Dark convective clouds covered the sky through the day, reducing visibility in several areas. The upper hills of Manali, including the Atal Tunnel, saw light snowfall.
More than 1,000 vehicles were stranded at the south portal of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, in the late evening after the snowfall in the higher reaches of Manali disrupted traffic, officials said.
A police team from Manali reached the spot and began the rescue operation, guiding the stranded vehicles towards Manali till the filing of the report.
The police also requested the Border Road Organisation and other rescue agencies to depute their teams so that the sliding of vehicles could be avoided by spraying mud and urea on the road, they said.
The police also appealed to the stranded people to be patient, as the rescue operation is on and they are safe.
Videos of tourists enjoying the snow near the tunnel have been circulating widely on the internet. The snowfall has brought cheer to tourism stakeholders.
With many parts of the plains experiencing a heat wave during the holidays, the snow in the hills is expected to attract more tourists. However, concerns remain over a perceived disruption in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
The India Meteorological Department office in Shimla issued an orange warning for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in Shimla, Kullu and Mandi districts on Sunday.
The weather office has also predicted light rain and snow in the state until March 21. An orange alert for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 40–50 km per hour has also been issued for Kullu and Shimla on March 19.
Hail warnings have been issued for Solan and Sirmaur districts.
A yellow alert has also been issued for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 40–50 km per hour in ten of the state’s twelve districts, except Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
In the past 24 hours, a heat wave was reported in Nahan, which recorded a maximum temperature of 30.2°C on Saturday afternoon and remained the hottest place during the day on Sunday with 28.7°C.
In contrast, Tabo was the coldest at night, with temperatures dropping to 1.4°C. A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of March 17.
